


What Was Dying Like?

by BrienneRakharo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:41:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24873229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrienneRakharo/pseuds/BrienneRakharo
Summary: Something was happening. Everything around him was changing. In a world always so still and dark, suddenly there was life and light. Where everything was dry, suddenly there was the most pleasant rainfall. It filled him with something he had not felt in some time.Hope.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	What Was Dying Like?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi...please be kind. This is my first ever story. 😳
> 
> Umm I guess I should say tw: for death from old age 😬 I put it in T+ just in case.
> 
> This is not beta'd so sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> Edit: also I know nothing of the World Between Worlds, I'm fairly new to the Star Wars universe, so no judgement

Something was happening. Everything around him was changing. In a world always so still and dark, suddenly there was life and light. Where everything was dry, suddenly there was the most pleasant rainfall. It filled him with something he had not felt in some time.

Hope.

He had only felt that once in his life that he can remember, and that was when he was with her. His only source of hope. His Rey. Although, she wasn’t his anymore. Not since he left her on Exegol. Eighty-five years ago.

He loved her, Gods he loved her so much. He loved her when she reached out and touched his hand. How long had it been since he had felt a touch so gentle? Over two decades likely. He loved her before he ever saw her on Takodana. He was so lost back then, so afraid to leave.

He remembered she frightened him, as well. He never intended to cause her any harm. Even when he propelled her into that tree, it was only to remove her from the situation while he dealt with the traitor. When he ventured into her mind, he was gentle as he nudged her into a deep slumber. When was the last time she had slept properly? When had he? He could feel she needed it. He could not explain it, her exhaustion was radiating from her in waves, overtaking his senses. He felt more and more sluggish as he carried her up the ramp to his ship, lightly huffing and puffing the entire way.

He remembered the exact moment in which his entire being snapped into existence; as he reached into her mind to search for the map to Skywalker, he felt her push back filling his own mind, as well as his heart. It frightened him more than anything he had ever experienced. More than Skywalker standing over him with that saber. More than Snoke, and his years of physical, mental, and emotional torture. While she reached into all his past fears, he realized his new fear. Her. He had shut her out before she caught onto that thought, and immediately deflected.

He remembered every battle. Every argument. Every word they had ever spoken. Every tear she had shed, and he too once he was alone again in his quarters.

He remembered everything about Rey.

His thoughts shifted. Suddenly, everything around him began to tremble. What was, for a short time, bright became dark again as the flowers wilted. Something was wrong. Instinct had him reaching for the nonexistent hilt where his lightsaber was held so many years ago. He twisted around surveying for any new danger coming his way. ‘I should have known that hope was overrated.’ He thought. His pulse jumped as noise began to fade, except for a recognizable dull ringing, and his surroundings shifted around him.

Suddenly, he was no longer standing in the barren land of the World Between Worlds. Instead, he was transported to a room with bright white walls. He blinked as everything came back into focus. His gaze landed on a bed where a familiar looking, frail old woman hooked up to various wires lay. Other than the med droids bustling around with various equipment, the room was empty.

Before he knew what was happening, he was next to the bed, his legs seemed to have a mind of their own. He glanced at the table next to the bed, where there were countless photographs of Rey with her friends in the Resistance, as well as flowers and various small plants. It quickly became clear. This woman on the bed, this frail old woman, was his Rey. Rey, who he never thought he would see again.

He sank to his knees next to her and reached for her hand. It was still so small in comparison to his, even more so now. He ran his thumb along the back of her hand and sat with her. He wasn’t sure how long he had here with her, so he was going to take every moment he could.

Her hand lightly squeezed, and his eyes shot up to her face. Her eyes were slowly opening, and they immediately settled on his.

“Ben?” Her fragile voice croaked out.

A smile settled across his features. He never thought he would hear that word escape her lips again. “I told you I would come back for you, sweetheart.” He could feel the tightening in his chest and throat as the familiar sting of tears started to form in his eyes. He wasn’t even aware he was able to cry anymore.

“Are you really here?” She asked.

He didn’t know much about the history of a dyad, but he knew enough that this was all starting to make sense. Their minds and bodies were connected across space and time for all eternity, so why wouldn’t he be here as she was slowly fading from this universe to join him in his.

“Yes and no. I am here with you, but I know that I’m not truly here with you. I think it’s like it used to be before I left you, but different somehow. I was just wandering around in nothingness when out of nowhere there was so much life and brightness. It vanished just as quickly as it arrived, and suddenly I was here.”

“The droids are telling me I don’t have much longer.” she murmured.

“Are you afraid?” he asked.

“Not anymore.” He felt her fingers tighten around his again and she smiled the most beautiful smile he had seen in some time.

He returned her smile with one of his own. “I did tell you that when the time came, you would be the one to join me. You have kept me waiting long enough, sweetheart. Join me. Please.”

“Of course.” She answered as he raised their joined hands to his lips. “After all this time, I think I was just waiting for you to come back for me. So, I think it was you that kept me waiting long enough.” The corners of her mouth turned up into a weak smile.

“Can you just sit with me until its time?” She asked. He nodded rising to his feet to sit next to her on the bed.

They sat there for some time talking about everything. She told him about her time on Tatooine, and while she said she’s still not sure of the true reason she was there it helped her discover who she really was. ‘Just Rey’ she had said. She told him about her time with the Resistance and the adventures she had with Rose, Poe, and the traitor…Finn, he corrected himself. He could tell that the longer she spoke the more she was slipping away.

“Ben?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“What was it like? Dying?” She didn’t sound frightened of the thought dying, merely curious.

“Peaceful.”

“Really?”

“Its hard to describe, really. I just know that I was so overcome with bliss just knowing that you were alive, that I didn’t care if it was the most horrific thing to happen to me. Nothing could be worse than the thought of you not living the life you were meant to live. The only thing I regret about dying was leaving you alone. Again. You had been left so many times by so many people, and I did the same thing. I am so sorry, Rey. I will never leave you again. I swear to all the gods. I love you so much. It’s you and me for the rest of eternity, sweetheart. And if there is something for us after that, I will continue to love you even then. I will be with you. Always.” He felt a tear make its way down his cheek. 

"I want that with you, and so much more Ben. I've missed you. So much. For some time, I wasn’t sure if I could continue on without you. I loved you with everything I had, Ben. And then you were just gone, and I didn’t know what to do. It was like all life in the galaxy had died with you that day." She reached up slowly, and with a shaking hand she wiped the tear from his face and cupped his cheek before continuing.

"I'm ready to go, Ben. I want to be with you. Forever. Always." He didn't say anything in response. Instead, he leaned down slightly and placed a light kiss to her hair before resting his forehead to hers. Rey closed her eyes as noise starts to fill the world again, and the world began to vibrate and shift around them.

Every nerve-ending in their bodies sparked as their minds united. Memories of their times together flowed through each of them. Every thought and feeling they had about the other was coming to the surface. Every word spoken and unspoken coming to light.

As everything started to come back into focus, the last memory they had together manifested to that fateful moment after she kissed him and whispered his name.

'I know.' He had wanted to say, but it had been too late.  
  
Once everything had settled he shifted his gaze back to Rey. Standing before him was not the woman he had spent the last couple of hours with, but instead there was Rey, as he knew her before. So young and vibrant and full of life even though hers had come to an end.

She was really here. With him. He almost couldn't believe it. He was overcome with so much love for this beautiful woman in front of him he cupped her face lightly in his hand and softly slid his thumbs across her cheeks. He leaned down and softly brushed his lips across hers, just the lightest of touches, before pulling her tightly towards his chest. His arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders as hers came around his waist to clasp behind his back. She pressed her face into his chest and inhaled the scent she had missed so much.

"You're so gorgeous, Rey." He murmured. "For so long I thought you had found the light in all my darkness, but I was wrong. You are my light, Rey."

"Ben" she whispered. "You were the one who showed me that the darkness in me was right when everyone else told me it was wrong. You are my everything, Ben. We don't have to be alone anymore."

"I was always with you, Rey." He whispered, placing his hand over her heart. "You were never truly alone."

She reached up and took his hand from where it was placed and intertwined their fingers together switching their resting place to his rapidly beating heart. 

"Neither were you."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just gonna head out now...✌️


End file.
